The Haitian Earthquake is Another Wake-up Call

     Many, whose families and friends were not affected by the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Pacific Islands in Tonga and Samoa on September 27, 2009, might already have forgotten about that disaster. How easy it is to put unpleasant events behind us if they do not affect us directly. Now, the devastating earthquake that took place in Haiti on January 12 is another serious wake-up call for everyone who lives in an earthquake area.
     Of course, this might include most of America. What might surprise many is the fact that there are earthquake faults throughout the Midwestern United States and even in the Atlantic region of this country. Geologists say that the time might be overdue for an earthquake to occur in other major urban centers in this country.
     We all know, too well, the danger posed by hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides and other natural and man-made disasters. So, no area of this country is safe from a potential disaster. How many times have we heard that we must prepare ourselves and our families with enough food and medical supplies to survive on our own for 72 hours in case a disaster occurs. The majority of us have probably not done this.
      But it is not a question of "if" a disaster strikes, it is becoming all too clear, it's now a case of "when" the disaster strikes. We're told, "Don't panic. Simply prepare." Of course, there are those who will always say, "What will be, will be." This might be true, but we have choices and, given the choice, an ounce of prevention and planning is always better than a pound of trying to manage when you're in the middle of the creek without a lifeboat, life preserver or paddle.
      The U.S. Federal Government is now requiring all cities and municipalities to have emergency preparedness plans. Residents should be required to have them, too. The life saved might be one's own. It might also be the life of a friend or a loved one.
     For more information on my show which talks about what one city is doing to prepare for a natural or man-made disaster, log onto www.epatoday.org/tv.html and read about Emergency Preparedness: Creating a Master Plan. You can now also see a slideshow I posted that features the guests who appeared on my show in October 2009. That show, called Dealing with a Natural Disaster, discussed the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Pacific Islands.
     Now I need to ask, "Are you prepared for any impending disaster that might affect you and your family when it strikes in your area?" Have you done anything at all to stock up on non-perishable food and medical supplies? If you haven't made any preparations, why not?

The Connection between Third Graders and Future Prison Inmates

It is shocking to think that a child who can't read by the third grade is a prime candidate for becoming a prison inmate. But looking at the reading levels of elementary school students might very well become a reliable way to predict the number of potential criminals in the future.

The idea of using reading proficiency to predict criminality was shared by East Palo Alto's Police Chief Ron Davis on the most recent episode of the Talking with Henrietta show, titled "The Fight Against Crime: Is It Working?"

On the show, Davis quoted statistics provided to him by David Lewis, one of the founders of Free at Last, an East Palo Alto nonprofit agency that works with parolees. The statistics showed that, compared to other third grade students in San Mateo County schools, only 10 to 25 percent of East Palo Alto third graders are reading at or above the 50th percentile mark.

Unfortunately, current research shows that those who cannot read are more at risk -- than their counterparts who can read -- for winding up in prison.

If this sad correlation between the inability to read by an early age and future imprisonment is true, then the educational priority for the East Palo Alto school district and school districts throughout the country is clear: make sure all students can read by the third grade.

Certainly, this would be a cost-effective and surefire way to reduce the prison population in the future.



To see Chief Ron Davis make the connection between reading levels and incarceration in a video excerpt from the show, click on the video below. Go here to get more information about the entire one hour discussion on "The Fight Against Crime: Is It Working?" You can post your views on the subject below.

Funding for Domestic Violence Shelters - A Necessity

In the State of California, October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is encouraging that California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger chose this month to restore funding to domestic violence shelters throughout the state.

Due to the state's budget shortfalls and the cutbacks in state funding several shelters have all ready closed. Now with statewide funding to domestic violence shelters restored, it is possible that these shelters might reopen.

Just a few years ago, the California Research Bureau reported that there were 197,000 domestic violence calls received by law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The bureau's report stated that more than 51,000 people were arrested and domestic violence incidents resulted in 197 homicides.

Given the fact that a downturn in the economy can lead to increased family stress and an increase in domestic violence, it is not surprising that law enforcement officials are currently reporting an increase in domestic violence calls not only in California but also in the nation as a whole. So, this is certainly not a time to short change social services within the state, especially in an area as critical as domestic violence, where it can be an issue of life or death. Many political observers can give a multitude of reasons why Schwarzenegger can be criticized, but the fact that the governor restored money to domestic violence shelters is one act for which he should be applauded.

You can read more about the restoral of state funding to shelters by going here

Click here and scroll to the third picture description to get information about a recent Talking with Henrietta show called Protecting Women Against Violent Crime that discussed domestic violence locally.

A New Vision for East Palo Alto: A Lovely Little City by the Bay

In the State of the City Address that he delivered on May 4, East Palo Alto Mayor Ruben Abrica presented a vision of East Palo Alto that could rival, on a much smaller scale, the image of San Francisco. He shared his belief that East Palo Alto could one day have a new reputation and a new image as the little City by the Bay. He asked his listeners to think of East Palo Alto as a City by the Bay with a strong spirit, next to a beautiful creek, the San Francisquito Creek.

Certainly for many that description brings to mind a lovely little city with parks, a protected and preserved Cooley Landing with walking trails, shops, recreation areas, a lively waterfront and scenic bay views. It's a futuristic vision for East Palo Alto and it would be a real reversal of the image that many have of East Palo Alto as a problematic place with inner city problems.

The vision Mayor Abrica put forth is certainly one toward which the city could strive. Being known as the little City by the Bay would certainly be a lovely appealing image and a positive description for East Palo Alto. It's certainly a vision worth thinking about. So, do you think Abrica's vision of East Palo Alto, as a lovely little City by the Bay, could ever become a reality? Is it a vision that the city could and should strive to achieve? Would it be a reality that you would want to pass on to the next generation?

See Mayor Abrica's State of the City Address here. What do you think?

Who is being treated unfairly?

An ongoing battle over rent increases has raged for months between the City of East Palo Alto and Page Mill Properties. The battle has been fought in court with the city losing two of the court cases brought against it by the company. This entire issue has pitted the rights of the tenants against the right of the landlord to raise rents.

An East Palo Alto tenant group and local activists protested the rent increases with marches from East Palo Alto to Page Mill Poperties' administrative offices in Palo Alto.

In an interview with East Palo Alto Today, Page Mill Properties' General Counsel Jim Shore said that Page Mill Properties would now like to work positively with the City of East Palo Alto. You can read his remarks in the East Palo Alto Today article which discusses the latest court ruling in the ongoing legal battle.

Since the interview, Page Mill Properties has filed another lawsuit against the city charging that the East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization Board wrongly denied 44 claims from Page Mill Properties for exemption from rent control.

Now an article has appeared on the SFGate.com website alleging that Page Mill Properties has been treated unfairly. We'd like to know if you would agree. You can read all of the articles that have appeared in East Palo Alto Today and on the EPA Today website about Page Mill Properties and the rent issue.

Given all that you know about the current dispute between Page Mill Properties and its tenants and the company's legal battles with the City of East Palo Alto, whom do you think is being treated unfairly? Is it the City of East Palo Alto? Is it Page Mill Properties' tenants? Or, is it Page Mill Properties? We would like to have your comments on this issue. You can post your comments below.

Updated 4/20/09 at 6:21 p.m.

The Role of City Government

At the May 20 East Palo Alto City Council meeting, council members voted three to two to allocate money to several local groups which sponsor cultural programs in the city. Throughout the meeting, Council member Peter Evans argued that the city was functioning improperly as a welfare agency and was misusing taxpayers’ money by supporting community programs sponsored by the city's nonprofit agencies. He stated that the city should concentrate solely on providing municipal services, like fixing the streets. The council ignored his arguments and decided, instead, to establish guidelines it could use to determine future funding for local agencies that request city assistance.

So, what do you think? Do you agree with Evans that the city should focus on providing municipal services only? Or do you believe it is a function of local government to allocate money to social service agencies that need assistance in providing needed community services? You can log in and post your opinion below or you can email your opinion to epatoday@epatoday.org. Either way, we might print your views in EPA Today’s Letter to the Editor column.

Should the city appeal?

After hearing numerous stories by East Palo Alto tenants that newly requested rent increases would bring personal hardship, the East Palo Alto City Council voted to impose a six month moratorium on the rent increases brought by Page Mill Properties, the city’s largest rental landlord. The requested rent increases would have raised the monthly rent from $100 to $300 on approximately 1,300 apartment units.

Many of the tenants who received the rent increases are low-income, disabled and like many seniors, on fixed incomes. In ruling against the city, Judge Beth Larson Freeman said that the city’s moratorium violated several state laws. Representatives for the city said that the moratorium allowed for a cooling off period in which critical issues affecting both the tenants and the landlord could be settled. The city now has the option of appealing the judge’s decision. Given the stakes involved for the tenants and for the landlord, do you think the City of East Palo Alto should appeal the judge’s decision and try to keep the six month moratorium?